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Kenny Florian Q&A
Here's a brief interview done
with Kenny Florian (7-3) as he prepares to take on
Doko Mishima
(17-5-2) at UFN 9.
Zewkey:
What's the story on Mishima?
KF: Mishima is
a strong, tough and experienced fighter who is primarily a
grappler. He has great takedowns in the clinch and shows overall
quickness. His ground and pound is solid. Mishima combines good
submissions with a decent striking game.
Zewkey: Who
are the top 5 lightweights in MMA?
KF:
The UFC
just brought back the division in early 2006. So, it’s tough to
say at this point because fighters are constantly moving up and
down. Plus, the UFC and other organizations have different
weight restrictions. There are many good lightweights, which is
why I am glad to be a part of this weight class.
Zewkey:
What did you learn from the Sherk fight?
KF:
Looking
back there were many lessons learned before, during and after
the fight. Overall, I was very disappointed.
The whole
time we were standing, I never thought once about wrestling. I
just thought about nailing Sherk with strikes. I got caught up
in trying to trade and hurt him instead of worrying about my
stance and counter wrestling. My stance and wrestling were
atrocious. Also, my ground game was not where it should have
been.
To his
credit, Sherk played the right strategy that night. Although, I
was never hurt, for the most part I was controlled. In the
scheme of things, Sherk was my toughest training partner to
date. This experience strengthened me and I am thankful for
that.
Zewkey:
Have you been working to improve anything specific?
KF:
My
training is very different in all respects. The results will be
seen on April 5th.
Zewkey:
What's the best fight you've seen recently?
KF:
Randy
Couture and Tim Sylvia was a fantastic fight. The energy in the
stands that night was insane.
Zewkey:
Have you seen 300? If so, is it a Kenflo thumbs up or down?
KF:
I
am really big into war history. So I love reading books and
watching movies on the great battles and great warriors of the
past and present. Many years ago I read an amazing book called
“The Gates of Fire.” My brother and I talk about that book and
the battle at Thermopylae all the time. I loved “300” and will
go back to see it again soon.
There was
something amazing about the battles of those times. Back then
you could look into your enemy’s eyes and fight them to the
death. It was much more personal then just dropping a bomb on
them from thousands of miles away. Great skill, heart and
tactics went into war back then.
Zewkey: How
does your training change the two weeks before a fight?
KF:
I tone
down the physical intensity and spend more time on the mental
preparation - staying sharp, crisp and keeping my diet super
clean.
Thanks to Kenny Florian
http://www.kennyflorian.com
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